Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-12-08
NATHAN'S REVENGE.
Why He Thought Himself of "No
Count" and q Coward.


Tathau Fielder stood in his water melon
patch; the days work was over and he
hal right to the rest he was taking.
The network of vines, covering acres Of
land and the pillows OF green-striped fruit
made a pleasant sight to the masters's
eyssas he leaned against the rail fence and
locked around him. 1t was all his-his
byright of honest toll, and he was to
reap a rich reward in round silver dolla
Day by day he had worked in the field by
the side of his laborers, not despiSing the
toll but finding in il a refuge from his
restless spirit. Now the harvest time had
come many of tho luscious melons lying be-
fore him had been already pledged to deal
eys in Atlanta, and this was the parting
visit Nathan was max ing before the perfect
beauty Of bis field should be broken. The
sun had hidden itself bebind the trees
and the air had already begun TO cool,
from the damp odors of the Gre k
running near by. On oIo side of
the field lay the road, on which
Natban's own COWS We're laZily
going home, with lazy. whistling boy
behind them. There was an uneasy fut-
fer OF cartridges in the bushes near the
fence; the whip-poor-will were pouring
forth their little souls in plaintive song:
the creek murmured its accompaniment to
the mysterious noises that came from its
strange world of inhabitants. But on the
absorbed face of the man there was no at
tention, his ears were not open to these
voices of the twilight. ''If Harrv'd a
lived" he said, ''this would a sent i'm to
college this year"
A darkness came over his face, and he
took his arm restlesSly from the fence.
"I'll do it yit," he muttered. "Nothin'
but Harry's KEEP me back all these years.
reckon Harry's got hold o. the trigger,
else hit would a gone of that night in the
woods"
4 hopeless look came into his eyes as he
turned and placed his 9th r arm on the
fence. Il dom reckon i'il ever kill him,
but sometimes hit looks like I've got to- 4"
he Tnut.ared. His face was sad and dark,
but not bad. There was vel spring of
goodness within him, bat drop of bit
terness had tainted the sweet waters.
''My God!" he said, 'what do l dig an
hoe an plant fer? Matty amt no good
am amt 10 good. Her an Harry was
the only ones wuth Twin, an they're over
there in the bury n'groun'."
While he had been thinking half aloud
there had been a low sound of sobbing
which now reached his ears. He came
lack from the graves of his wife and child
with start of terror, rs though some SUI
pernaturai voice had called him.
"What'S that" he said; then listened
ca gerry, so that he might locate the sound.
In q moment it came again, the low cry
ing of tired, frightened Child. Nathan
sprang over the fence, so that he might
walk without trampiing his vines; he hur.
ried along, following the sound Of the
sobbing until he reached a certain point
in the fence where the rails were out of
place. There it was. He looked over into
his precious patch and saw child lying
on the vines. partly hidden by them, with
it's little curly head resting Oh a melon.
t'Weli, I'll be blamedw Nathan cried, as
he sprang across the fence into the melon
field, '';f that ar dom beat me-"
The child raised its face, the eyes float
ing in tears, and the mouth puckered with
crying. The little arms went up to the
stranger, and a burst of joyous crying
gave him welcome: "Mammy."
Nathan was not nanny but he was
rappy, aud he picked up tho little one and
wiped the eyes, mouth and cheeks wit h
his pocket handkerchief.
Wizard you come from, youngster, an
how'd yer git in my melon patch?" There
was something so pitiful about the little
four-year SO far from home, and Ma.
than could see by the part in the hair that
he he'd a boy in his arms, so he kissed the
little mouth from which the grief had not
yet vanished.
brighten up" he said. SAM laugh at a
Teller. What's yo' name?"
But the boy would not answer, so M.
than tossed him up in the air, tickled him,
sat him on the fence and tried to talk
"baby talk" Then he pumped him down
on to a watermelon, while he fished in his
pockets for an apple. He found one and
then the child laughed. This was the be-
ginning of sport; in a moment the boy
was on his feet, chasing Nathan; round
aud round they ran, trampling the vines
and brUising the melons, but they were
10th so happy-what did they care. When
they were tired they sat down together in
the corner of the fence and the child's
head rested against Nathan's arm. How
good, how sweet it was to have q baby
near him-an innocent heart that rested
against his, trusting him as though he lad
been good and pure. He was tempted to
take this child home with him and hide it
there while he Toasted his heart with pure
happiness for a little while. 1t should be
his Harry come back for a day or two,
then he would give the little one to those
who had a right to claim him. He visited
SO little at the neighboring farm houses
that he could not know to whom the child
belonged. Why should he seek to know
Just yet! He had been bereft so long. Why
could they not wait little, while he kept
the boy for few hours in his own child
less heart? He had half determined to do
this, or at least to wait until inquiry wa s
made when he spoke:
'.Hit's gittin' late an we must be a.
goin' home. Come on, honey"
"Want many - ths child pleaded.